In June 2019, “Damage/Control: Use of force and the cycle of violence and trauma in BC’s federal and provincial prisons” was published by the West Coast Prison Justice Society/Prisoners’ Legal Services. The report analyzes law and policy governing the use of force by correctional officers in light of interviews with over 100 federal and provincial prisoners. The report finds that both CSC and BC Corrections officers use force in response to prisoners in emotional distress and as a tool to coerce compliance, even when there is no immediate risk to safety. It argues that relying on physical force in these circumstances creates an adversarial environment that compromises safety and wellbeing for both prisoners and staff.
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Government of Canada
To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding use of force policy and practice
Recommendation 48: Clarify in policy that force can only be used when necessary to prevent imminent harm to a person, not to address noncompliance or disobedience.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding use of force policy and practice
Recommendation 49: Adopt an explicitly trauma-informed approach to interventions.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding use of force policy and practice
Recommendation 50: Restrict the use of force in response to self-harm to circumstances where there is an imminent risk of grievous bodily harm.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding use of force policy and practice
Recommendation 51: Consider the removal, display, or threatened use of spray irritants, and threats to bring the ERT, reportable uses of force.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding training
Recommendation 52: Expand training on conflict resolution, de-escalation skills, nonviolent crisis intervention and working with people with mental health disabilities. This should be designed in conjunction with mental health experts and people with lived experience.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding training
Recommendation 53: Require advanced training in working with people with mental health disabilities for all staff working on mental health units, in treatment centres, in segregation/SIUs, and as members of Emergency Response Teams as a prerequisite for performing these roles. Require regular refresher courses.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding prisoners with mental health needs
Recommendation 54: Create specialized officer-nurse teams at treatment centres and maximum and medium institutions to respond to situations involving emotional or medical distress using joint decision-making. This could follow models in the community that pair specially trained police with psychiatric nurses to respond to emergencies involving people with mental health issues.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding prisoners with mental health needs
Recommendation 55: Develop an alternative model for identifying and responding to prisoners with mental health disabilities in crisis in partnership with mental health experts (including experts in forensic psychiatry) and people with lived experience. This includes prisoners in emotional distress (such as prisoners who are self-harming) as well as prisoners who are experiencing behavioural emergencies connected with their disabilities. These responses should be supportive and traumainformed rather than punitive.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding prisoners with mental health needs
Recommendation 56: Eliminate the use of Emergency Response Teams in regional treatment centres and on mental health units. Ensure decisions to deploy the ERT consider the potential traumatic impact of the team on the prisoner and weigh the potential for psychological harm against the potential benefit of using this high level of force. Amend policy to reflect this.-
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To Correctional Service Canada
Regarding prisoners with mental health needs
Recommendation 57: Have senior mental health practitioners review all uses of force against prisoners with mental health disabilities.-
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